News 01/31/2017

A couple of men are safe after they got trapped on shoreline rocks of Bodega Head. The two called for help Sunday later afternoon with several rescuers coming to the area including the Coast Guard and the Sonoma County sheriff’s helicopter unit. The two men seen around 500 yards off the Bodega Bay Trailhead parking lot where they’d hiked down but got trapped by the tide. They were plucked out of the area by a chopper team who were lowered down to save them. They were checked out then released.

Some more tweaking of the cannabis dispensary ordinance in Ukiah. The city council is taking out a phrase which doesn’t go along with its purpose of approving permits and for appeals. The current draft approving the zoning administrator to have a public hearing and be the first to decide on permit applications. It also puts the Planning Commission in charge of hearing appeals and grant exemptions for certain zoning issues. It all comes from the ad-hoc committee who were put in charge of drafting the law. Permits would have to abide by a so-called set-back rule. So they’re nowhere near schools or places where youth congregate.

A man from Ukiah’s being charged with murder and a special allegation for a shooting last November. Steven Ryan charged for the murder of 20 year old De’Shaun Davis, who Ryan told police he killed in self defense. At his preliminary hearing last week deputies testified seeing Davis on the ground dead. Other witnesses or neighbors testified about an argument that came before they heard shots fired. They say Ryan accused Davis of trespassing. Another says Ryan told them he heard yelling so he went outside with a gun. He says Davis charged him so he fired at him. Another witness said the victim didn’t charge him and after being shot once he had his hands up and was on his knees. Ryan was held over for trial and will be arraigned next month.

Mendocino County gets bad grades for not keeping youngsters away from cigarettes. The American Lung Association State of Tobacco Control report for California shows what each community scores in their tobacco control policies, in preventing and reducing tobacco use and limiting its exposure. Ukiah, Fort Bragg, Willits and the county got all A’s for reducing sales of tobacco products to minors. But they can be fined and lose licenses to sell smokes if they’re caught selling to those under 21. Point Arena got an F on the same, and in every category in the study. Marin and Sonoma County were tops in everything, getting A’s across the board. Lake, Napa, Del Norte and Humboldt counties got poor grades.

A man in Santa Rosa has been arrested after an altercation with another man he says stole personal property. Frederick Helmke was arrested yesterday for assault with a deadly weapon. Sonoma Deputies say the victim was at his home on Guerneville Road outside Graton (Gray-tun) and Helmke, who knew the victim came over. The victim apparently accused Helmke of taking his property and they started fighting. Police say Helmke stabbed the victim in the stomach then took off in an RV. Police arrested him, taking him to jail and held him on $60,000 bail.

A woman who used to care for another woman found mummified in Fort Bragg has been ordered to stand trial. Police have connected Lori Fiorentino to the death of Arlene Potts who was found emaciated and naked besides wearing dirty diapers. The dead woman was found mummified with severe muscle atrophy and with ulcerated lesions on her body. The cause of death has not been conclusive, but the DA’s office says they think it was from neglect. Fiorentino’s public defender says there were many working in agencies and others who could have helped, but didn’t, alleging the victim may have refused care. The judge didn’t go along with that, but said he’d hear the argument later. Police say the victim may have been dead a month before being found after complaints of a foul odor were called in.

A couple from Sacramento have been arrested in connection with dozens of bottles of booze being stolen from several grocery stores in the North Bay. Sonoma police say they found 70 bottles of high end alcohol in the couple’s car and another dozen or so in a backpack. All of them together, worth about $6,000. Store security employees say they lost the booze from Safeway stores in Windsor, Petaluma, Novato and Sonoma. Apparently some employees at the Novato store followed the couple after they drove off. Matthew Moore and Frankie Nicholls were arrested on suspicion of burglary, possessing stolen property and conspiracy to commit a crime. Bail was set at $10,000 ea.

A fire in a home in Lucerne has injured one person. Firefighters get a call last night to the fire on Grove St. from a neighbor who saw flames and said there had been an explosion. They reported one person possibly trapped in the structure. Apparently they tried to help the person out but their front door was blocked. The victim rescued had burns and was taken to Sutter Lakeside Hospital. Lake Co News reports the fire was at a stick-built home. No word on the cause of the fire or the condition of the victim.

The first flu related death of someone under 65 has been reported in Lake County. The Lake County Health Officer says they got a call Monday that a woman in her 40’s died with a positive flu test. Lake Co News reports the county’s not had a reportable flu-related death since the 2013-14 flu season, that was a woman between 30 and 40 years old. The California Department of Public Health had reported earlier this month there were more severe influenza cases than last year with 23 influenza-associated deaths statewide. But only deaths in those under 65 are reported, so there could be many more.

A man from Clearlake charged for arson to a residential care and mental health facility is set to enter a plea. Anthony Conley had been arrested last week for the fire at the facility where he supposedly lived. Police went to the San Sousee adult care facility in Clearlake and arrested Conley. He’s charged with a count of arson, four counts of attempted murder and three counts of elder or dependent abuse. The man has no reported criminal history in Lake County. He’s been in jail since his arrest Thursday with bail set at $800,000.

State Sen. Mike McGuire part of a group of other California legislators who will introduce a resolution against President Trump’s recent executive orders on immigration and border security. McGuire called the orders “dangerous and ill-conceived,” saying “California is a state of immigrants,” and that “we have drawn a line in the sand.” He follows Congressman Mike Thompson who announced he would cosponsor a bill to overturn and defund the executive orders that ban refugees and people from Muslim-majority countries who enter the United States. Thompson called the bans anti-American. Thompson has cosponsored the Statue of Liberty Value (SOLVE) Act, to defund the President’s executive order and establish it as having zero value.

A teenager in central Ohio gets to cross one item off her bucket-list as cops let her use a stun gun on one of them. The 16 year old Alyssa Elkins zapped a cop, after some training. A sergeant volunteered for the shocking as a crowd of supporters watched. The sgt said it was indeed unpleasant, but if it made somebody’s dream come true, it was well worth it. The teen has decided not to have more treatment for the leukemia and apparently only has a few months to live. Another item on her list, a family trip to Disney World in February.